Lapis's Hope
by AtomicSoldier95
Summary: Lapis is trying to leave Earth, but she can't bring herself to do so. She decides to hide away from Beach City, and wait for when the Diamonds to arrive. While Lapis waits, she meets a human who will help her realize that she should stay and fight.


Steven Universe:

Hope

"I need to get away from this planet. The Diamonds are coming, and I don't want to get caught in another war. It is so easy for me to leave, but why can't I leave," thought Lapis Lazuli as she was drifting in space with her home which was a barn with silo additions. She just stared at the planet trying to understand why she wanted to stay.

"RGGGH!" she let out a grunt of frustration as she flew herself and her home back to the Earth.

"I will leave once the diamonds come. That should give me time to figure out why I can't leave," thought Lapis as she re-entered the atmosphere.

"I don't need to return to Beach City. That is where the Diamonds will go. I just need some place to hide," she thought as she flew in the upper atmosphere. During her flight she saw a patch of land that she started to recognize. She flew down and saw a clearing big enough for the barn, and she landed there.

"This is where… I was defeated…" Lapis lost control of her mind as she thought back to when she was trapped in the mirror. The pain of abandonment shrouded her as this place brings her to her knees. She was not aware of the danger that was approaching from behind. A giant dog like creature with a dark brownish-red coloring walked up behind her and raised its paw to strike.

"Hey!" yelled a male voice which distracted the beast and broke the cycle that Lapis found herself in. She turned to locate where the noise came from but saw the beast. She used the water from the barn to form chains around the beast and pinned it to ground. Before Lapis could finish the creature, a human landed onto the beast's side. Lapis could see the human was dressed somewhat like Steven, but he had a plain black t-shirt with work boots. What Lapis really noticed about him was the devices on that surrounded his arms and legs. They looked like parts on the tractor that Peridot fixed up, but where arranged like a weapon. The human pulled back his right arm and punched down onto the beast. The weapon the human was using activated as a metal plate with spikes on it launched forward into the beast. Cracks formed from the point of impact on right cheek, and the beast burst into light and faded away leaving a brownish-red gem. The human picked it up and put it in a rectangular device which came from his pack. He put the device back up before he turned his attention to Lapis.

"Thanks for the assist there… miss?" asked the human as he walked over to grab the gem.

"Um Lapis. My name is Lapis,"

"Well, Miss Lapis, you are not looking well… wait… are you even human?" asked the human as he realized how unnaturally blue Lapis was. Lapis thought about whether to lie to him or not, but she decided it was too much effort.

"No, I am not human," Lapis said flatly.

"Do you happen to have a gemstone imbedded in you?" asked the human curious. Lapis slowly turned to show him her stone, and she dreaded the response.

"My granddaddy was right," said the human with excitement.

"Wait what?" Lapis asked in confusion.

"Oh sorry, I am being rude. My name is Jack Trascovich, and I am a hunter so to speak," said Jack as he held out his hand for Lapis to shake it.

"Oh… okay," said Lapis still confused as she reluctantly shook his hand poorly.

"You haven't been interacting with very many people have you?" asked Jack noticing how badly the hand shake went.

"I am not the best when it comes to interacting with others," said Lapis looking down at the ground. Jack could read her body language, and it told him that she was carrying a burden that she doesn't like talking about it.

"You looking for a place to just clear your head?" asked Jack politely.

"You can say that," said Lapis.

"You can stay at my place… and is that barn yours?" asked Jack noticing the barn held in the air by water.

"It is…" said Lapis before she started to think about whether or not she should take him up on his offer.

"I do kinda want to learn more about you, but I can tell you are not in the mood to spill your guts. Never mind, you have your own priorities," said Jack as he put the gem in a specialized box, and he started to walk off. Lapis noticed this and without thinking she walked up to Jack as she moved the barn.

"I think I will take you up on your offer as long as your place is quiet," said Lapis. This startled Jack, but he recovered quickly.

"Alright, so are you going to stay in your barn, or do you want to stay in my house?" asked Jack as they walked down a forest path.

"I will probably stay in the barn… I just need a different environment to clear my head," said Lapis. Jack really got to look at her and the way her dress fit her, the way her hair was done, and the way her body was shaped. He thought she was pretty hot, but he also knew that she could kill him if he was not careful. Lapis looked at him and thought about how different he is compared to the other humans she has met. The way he jumped into action to protect her a complete stranger. Jack reminds her of Steven, but there is a big difference with him. Lapis just can't put into words yet.

"So what are those devices on your arms and legs?" asked Lapis curious.

"Oh these, I call them Power Jaxs. They are designed to increase my punching damage and increase my mobility by using hydraulics and heavy duty springs you would find on a tractor. When I pull back to set up a punch the hydraulics pulls the plate back compressing the springs. When I throw a punch, I release pressure on the hydraulics and the springs launch the plate forward with enough force to break a cinder block wall. My legs have the same set up, but the help me get distance and air. The fluid and power for the system is stored in this back pack, and they are transported via the tubes that connect all of the pieces together," said Jack as he and Lapis continue to walk.

"What is powering the pack?" asked Lapis.

"Okay… I will show, but you will need to let me explain when I show it to you," said Jack as he put the pack down and pulled out a tray with a cluster of gem shards in the center.

"My father fought and captured this gem in Delmarva, and he said it was just an ungodly mixture of limbs. I figured out that these gems are good source of power, but I never use intact gems because I figure complete gems have complete forms," said Jack calmly and slowly. Lapis just looks in shock at the cluster of gems because she knows what that cluster means.

"Take it out of your pack. Now!" yelled Lapis.

"If I do that I would lose the hydraulic support to the move my devices, and it will be long walk back then," said Jack.

"Those shards were once gems with minds and will, and now they are being use as some insane human's power source!" yelled Lapis as she prepares an attack with water from the barn.

"Okay easy. I get when I just need to shut up and do," said Jack as he took the tray out, and he suddenly felt the weight of his devices. He could still lift them, but it was going to require a lot of work. He handed the tray over to Lapis as an olive branch gesture. Lapis put a bubble around the tray. She touched the top of the bubble and it disappeared. Jack wanted to ask where it went, but he knew he was on thin ice.

"Also give me the gem you captured… I don't trust her safety with you," said Lapis with a commanding tone. Jack complied and pulled out the brownish red gemstone in the rectangular container. Lapis bubbled it as well.

"Let me ask you something… do you know someone or something that can fix them?" asked Jack as he took off his devices. Lapis thought about his question, and she wanted to say yes, but she realistically knew that not even Steven could fix forced fusion.

"I honestly don't know," said Lapis as she used her water to lift up Jack's devices with the barn now that she calmed down a bit. She still did not trust him fully, but someone who was willing to help her can't be too bad.

"Thank you, I guess we have much to discuss," said Jack as he and Lapis continued to walk forward.

"What do you want to know?" asked Lapis just wanting to get the questions over with.

"I want to know practically everything, but I figure you also want to know about me as well?" asked Jack with an inquisitive look.

"I do, so how do you want to do this?" asked Lapis.

"Hang on, we reached my house," said Jack as he pointed to a decent sized log cabin on top of a hill. It looked similar to the barn, but it was built with construction codes in mind. Jack walked up to the door and unlocked it.

"So welcome to my humble abode. It is nowhere near as mobile as yours, but it is rustic," said Jack jokingly as he opened the door to his home. Lapis noticed that the layout was similar to Steven's house but with more doors.

"Well, this seems nice…" said Lapis with only two points of reference for a home's interior.

"Well good thing about hosting an alien. You can lie about the fact you did not clean up," said Jack with a dead pan expression.

"Pfftt.. ha ha," laughed Lapis due to Jack's delivery.

"So pick a spot in the yard to place the barn, I need to finish some business," said Jack as he entered one of the doors. Lapis turned to survey the yard which was spacious and surrounded by trees. She found a good spot to set the barn down which was facing the east. She decided to hook up everything to settle the barn. She looked out again, and remembered the field she and Peridot grew. Lapis felt a desire to go back, but she shook her head and told herself.

"I can't. I don't want to get involved."

"Can't get involved in what?" asked Jack as he walked up to greet Lapis.

"Oh um…" said Lapis trying to think of something to say.

"I am guessing you are not comfortable telling me. That is fine we have plenty to talk about. Come on up," said Jack as he turned to walk back to his house. Lapis followed Jack to his house, and they both entered it. Jack motioned for Lapis to sit on the couch. She flew over and sat down on one end. She noticed a can of soda and a glass of ice on a coffee table next to her. Jack sat down on the other end and he poured himself a glass of Royal Crown Cola.

"We will take turns asking question, so… would like to ask your question now or will you let me go first?" asked Jack.

"I will go. How long has your family been hunting corrupted gems?" asked Lapis wanting to get this out of the way.

"Officially my dad started hunting the bea… corrupted gems in 1976. My family has been hunting them since the 1800's," said Jack.

"Okay… your turn," said Lapis.

"Are you related to the corrupted gems?" asked Jack.

"I am. The corrupted gems are supposed to be sentient and have more of a human like structure," said Lapis holding back a bit of anger.

"That confirms my suspicions…" said Jack.

"How has your family treated the corrupted gems?" asked Lapis sternly. Jack squirmed in his seat. He knew this question would come up.

"In the early days not good, we were subsistence farmers, and that means if your crops get destroyed or your animal gets killed you starve. Now when you have a beast that rampages through your field destroying your means of survival, you tend not to be merciful, but…" said Jack before Lapis jumped on him out of anger.

"Those where gems just trapped in a form they can't control," said Lapis as she formed her wings into ice daggers ready to stab Jack.

"I know that, but my ancestor's didn't," said Jack trying to keep composure. This statement hit Lapis. She forgot that humans don't live as long as gems, and she then realized the guilt party is long dead.

"How do you treat them?" she asked as she melted the ice daggers and returned them to her gemstone.

"I put them in a containing device that can emulate dreams while they are in their gem… It took massive amounts of work, but it will be worth it once I or my descendants figure out how to cure them," said Jack as he got back in the seat.

"…I'm sorry. I acted out, and…," said Lapis hanging her head low.

"It is okay… I understand why you did that, if our roles were reversed then I probably acted the same," said Jack trying to lighten the mode. Lapis however clenched her fists for she had killed humans like they were just beasts further in the past.

"I am done," said Lapis as she got up from the couch, and rushed out of Jack's house. Jack did not follow for he knew she needed space. Lapis flew to her spot in the barn, and she curled up in a corner. Dark memories of her past flood her mind… the many humans she was ordered to kill. The sunsets and night comes while Lapis is lost in her memories when she heard a noise from outside the barn. Lapis flew to the entrance of the barn, and she looked out to see a male deer grazing in the yard. The deer noticed Lapis looking at it, and it ran off.

"It was just a deer," said Lapis as she returned to the barn.

The sun rises and Lapis exits the barn to see a note for her.

"I am sorry for last night. Things got heated, and I am sorry if I brought up any sore spots," said the note. Lapis figured it came from Jack, and she appreciated the effort. She just wants some peace. Jack wanted her to respond, but he knew she need some space. He prepped for another hunt. A week passes by and Lapis only finds peace during the day for at night she is subject to strange noises and memories of torture and guilt. Jack packs his pick-up truck for the hunt, but he pauses and considers letting Lapis join. He walks toward the barn and knocks on the door jam.

"Hey Lapis are you in there?" asked Jack. He got no response, but he could hear that someone was in there.

"Are you okay?" asked Jack but still got no response. Jack walks through the doorway to see if he could find her. He spots water floating on a plate form, so he figured she was there. Jack quietly climbed the ladder and saw Lapis sleeping. Her sleep was not restful; however, she was talking in her sleep. Jack can clearly make out she is saying.

"No… I won't go back… I am sorry… I was only… No… No…," Jack knew what he need to do though he was not going to like what he need to do. Jack breathed in and screamed.

"WAKE UP!"

Jack suddenly felt a rush of water wrap around his head which made him loss his grip on the ladder. The water dissipated as quickly as it appeared so he fell to the floor of the barn. Lapis peeked over the platform.

"Why are you in my barn?!" asked Lapis with an anger filled tone.

"I wanted to ask you, if you wanted to join me with my work? I then wanted to make sure you were okay. You were talking in your sleep, and it sounded like an intense nightmare," said Jack as he made sure he had no broken bones.

"I was asleep?... I don't normally sleep," said Lapis confused and calming down.

"Oh… okay that is good to know, so I am heading out on a corrupted gem call. There is one that is causing problems down in Oglevania, but I see that you don't want to be bothered so just keep the mail while I am gone," said Jack as he got up and walked out the door. Lapis flew down beside him.

"Wait… A trip might do me some good. I haven't been able to relax at night like I normally would. I might to focus on something else. Also I need to make sure you won't harm the corrupted gem," said Lapis.

"I get ya, so do ya need to pack anything?" asked Jack.

"No, where did you put your stuff?" asked Lapis.

"In my truck?" Jack answered in confusion.

"I can fly us there in no time," said Lapis starting to manipulate water to the truck.

"I appreciate the help, but I get paid for the gas I use and for lodging. It would also look suspicious, if I was able to get there much earlier than humanly possible," said Jack politely.

"Oh… right," said Lapis as she stopped the water and sent it back to the barn.

"You can still fly, if you want. I will give you the area you need to head to…" said Jack before Lapis put her hand up in a stopping motion.

"I will just ride with you," said Lapis as she went to the passenger side of the truck. Jack being courteous opened the door for her, and she stepped in. She sat down and buckled up. She remembered how much nagging Pearl gave her the last time she rode in a vehicle. Jack got in on the driver side, and he cranked up the truck. They both left his home to head out to Terminus.

They drove for a few hours in silence as they watched the landscape change from mountains to foot hills.

"So you want to listen to any music?" asked Jack.

"No," said Lapis as she starred out of the truck.

"You want to talk about anything?" asked Jack

"There is something I do want to know, and it is about your family," said Lapis looking at Jack.

"Okay," said Jack focusing on the road.

"Do you have an idea where your family was five thousand years ago?" asked Lapis just wanting to know more about him.

"Uh that is a tough one do mean us the name or like us the people?" asked Jack confused.

"As people probably… I am still trying to understand the whole gene and human culture thing," said Lapis in a bit of a lighter tone.

"My best guess is that my genetic ancestor would be in Norselhime. A very cold region in northern Europa. It is relatively close to the Northern Pole of the Earth," said Jack.

"The Northern Beasts…" said Lapis.

"What?" asked Jack.

"The Northern Beasts was a myth about a form of organic life that thrived in extremely cold climates, and these creatures were so fierce in battle that they would be able to best even Topazes, an elite soldier in the gem army," said Lapis looking at Jack with a sense of fear building up in her. His courage makes sense to her now. He is a descendant of those warriors, and he is somewhat carrying on that tradition.

"I think I know what you are talking about… The myth of the icy rage warriors also known as the íss geisa seggr. Legend says their yell could stop anyone in their tracks long enough for them to kill. Me, I think they were just damn good at fear tactics, so good to scare a gem apparently," said Jack glancing at Lapis.

"If they were so good then why did not get involved in the war?" asked Lapis in a pointing tone.

"Okay that is not fair. They thought that their section of land was the world, and so in a sense they were saving it," said Jack with a bit of an annoyed tone.

"Well there was someone fighting to save the world from Homeworld, and by extension me," said Lapis looking down.

"My family picked up on that from hieroglyphs found in strange structures across the country. Y'all had a civil war on the planet. What was it over?" asked Jack.

"Humans… A rebellion formed lead by a gem called Rose Quartz, and she wanted to protect organic life on Earth which includes humans," said Lapis as she looked out the window.

"Did you ever talk with this Rose Quartz?" asked Jack.

"No, I never did," said Lapis telling a half truth.

"Well if she is still around, and you see her. Tell her I said thank you," said Jack.

"Why do you want me to do that?" asked Lapis.

"In short, she, I assume she, gave me a future," said Jack. Lapis has never thought of Rose's actions like that until now… she saved a race from Homeworld. Lapis however remembers what happened to her and those wounds are still raw. She also knows the war is still not over.

"It is not over yet…," said Lapis as she hung her head low again.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Jack concerned now. Lapis does not want to give too many details. She decides to tell him this.

"Homeworld is running low on resources, and they are desperate even if it means…"

"They return to a place they already lost," said Jack finishing her sentence.

"Yep…," said Lapis looking out the window again.

"Is there anyone defending us?" asked Jack.

"There is, but they are a remnant of the original Crystal Gems," said Lapis.

"When we get done with this job I need to go see them," said Jack determined.

"Why?" asked Lapis looking at him.

"To join them," said Jack.

"Why, two of Homeworld's leaders are coming to the Earth. It is pointless…," said Lapis letting out some frustration. Jack squeezed the steering wheel in anger and held it for a while. He then calmed down.

"Look, I don't know what happened to you during the war, and you have every right and ability to not fight. I however only have two choices die or fight, and I will damn well fight. I would rather die a soldier than die a coward," said Jack. Those words resonated with Lapis.

"I was kept prisoner for thousands of years because of this war, and I don't want to be trapped again," said Lapis sternly.

"Then I will fight for both of us," said Jack. Lapis did not know how to respond to that, so she just fell silent. Night came and Jack had been driving for ten hours plus stops for food and restrooms.

"Okay, I need to stop and sleep. We made pretty good time, but I don't want to drive tired," said Jack as he pulled into a Hotel 9. He parked the truck and went to the reception desk to get a room. Lapis just waited in the truck for him to come back, and he returned with the room key.

"We are on the second floor, and we are room 209," said Jack looking at the keycard.

"Okay," said Lapis as she got out of the truck, and she flew to the room. Jack looked to see if the clerk noticed which he did not. Jack got his stuff, locked his truck, and walked to the room. He met up with Lapis who was waiting at the door.

"A bit car crazy?" asked Jack as he opened the door to the hotel room.

"You can say that," said Lapis as she walks in behind him. The room is a basic hotel room that looks decently clean.

"I want the bed closest to the window unless you want it," said Jack.

"I am fine with not having the window," said Lapis as she went over to the bed closest to the bathroom. Jack unpacked a pair of pajamas and his bathroom essentials to get ready for bed. He entered the bathroom and washed up. He came out in his pajamas to brush his teeth, and he saw Lapis sound asleep. He noticed that she was sleeping more calm that this morning.

"I hope you find your peace Lapis, but for me I need to fight for it," thought Jack as he went to bed. A loud scream was herd outside the room. Jack acted by throwing open the door, but before he could rush out the room he looked at Lapis who woke up due to the scream.

"What was that?!" said Lapis shocked.

"I don't know, but I am going to find out. Stay here and keep an eye out for anything suspicious," said Jack as he opened the door and rushed outside. He did not see anything out of the ordinary except for a deer in a field across the road from the hotel. Jack made eye contact with it, and he got a very bad feeling from it like it was maliciously planning something.

"Piss off, Gambi," said Jack as he walked back through the door and closed it.

"What was it?" asked Lapis.

"I only saw a deer. I could not find the source of the scream," said Jack as he climbed into the bed. Jack and Lapis had a peaceful night sleep after that incident. Jack woke up before Lapis and dressed in another set of clothes to go get breakfast. He went down and saw some other patrons in the eating area. He overheard their conversation.

"Did you see that creature last night?" asked a patron.

"I did. It was terrifying, and just twisted," said another patron.

"I did not think deer could be twisted to stand on two legs," said the first patron. Jack was a bit puzzled by this, but he figured that they were not in the right mind last night.

"They must have been the source of the scream," thought Jack as he walked to the continental breakfast. He got his breakfast, and returned to the room to find Lapis up watching T.V.

"What you watching?" asked Jack as he entered the room.

"Camp Pining Hearts," said Lapis siting up in the bed.

"That show where everyone has no clue how to deal with love?" asked Jack.

"Hey the show does fine," said Lapis right before two characters' start talking about how they are on different sides of the camp.

"Oh for the love of…Kiss already," said Jack in a joking to tone to pick at Lapis. Lapis turned off the T.V.

"I saw that episode already," said Lapis annoyed with Jack's joke.

"Do they kiss?" asked Jack with a grin on his face.

"…They do," said Lapis in joking defeat. Jack gathers his stuff and they head out on the road. After a few minutes, Jack decided to fill Lapis in on where they were going specifically.

"Lapis?" asked Jack getting her attention.

"Yes?" responded Lapis.

"Would you like to know the details of where we are going?" asked Jack.

"Yeah, I would," said Lapis as she turns to look out her window.

"We are heading to Plant Gates. It is a coal fired power plant, and it provides power to a large portion of Oglevania. They have been having problems with train cars being damaged, and reports of electrical surges in the area," said Jack giving Lapis the run down.

"Why would they need you?" asked Lapis out of curiosity.

"Very few natural creatures can damage a coal car, and they are not native to this area. Now this happened recently, but several night shift employees saw a very large and blue cat like creature clawing at the cars. The creature noticed them, and charged an electrical attack that only stunned the workers. The creature ran off, but the security camera's got a good look at the creature," said Jack with a pause.

"What did the cameras see?" asked Lapis interested.

"A gemstone is embedded in the creature's sternum," said Jack doing a quick glance at Lapis.

"It is a corrupted gem, and…" said Lapis before Jack finished.

"I am the only one who can do it," said Jack.

"Well the only human at least," said Lapis with a snicker as she looked at him.

"Ha ha very funny," said Jack a bit annoyed.

"I do have some good news for you. I am not using my Power Jaxs for this hunt. I am using a method my great grandad used during his time," said Jack.

"What is the method?" asked Lapis.

"I am going to use a powerful gun to damage the form of the corrupted gem enough for it to retreat back into the gemstone," said Jack.

"Wait… how does a gun work?" asked Lapis.

"It is a weapon that lets me launch a piece of lead shaped to fly through the air at speeds several times faster than the speed of sound," said Jack.

"Okay what happens if that projectile hits the gemstone?" asked Lapis concerned.

"I am going to try to aim so that the bullet does not hit the gemstone, but I will give you permission stop the bullet if you think it will hit the gemstone," said Jack knowing the risks with this method.

"Okay, I will try," said Lapis a bit scared of failing. After three more hours of driving they arrived at Plant Gates. Jack pulled up to a security gate, and a guard in a normal uniform was manning it.

"I.D.?" asked the Guard noticing Jack pull up.

"Jack Trascovich," said Jack as he handed him his driver's license, and business card. The guard looked it over, and nodded his head in approval.

"You can go in," said the guard as he raised the gate.

"Thank you," said Jack as he grabbed his license, and drove to the plant. Jack and Lapis drove until they reached a parking lot where a worker was there to greet them, and he had a transport vehicle with him. Jack pulled into a parking spot and stopped the truck. He and Lapis got out of the car, and Jack jumped onto the back of his truck to open a metal case.

"Thanks for taking our call," said one of the employees.

"No problem, my name is Jack Trascovich," said Jack as he reached his hand out to shake the employee's hand from the back of his truck.

"I'm Joe Inco. I am the supervisor," said Joe as he shook Jack's hand.

"So where does this creature tend to stick to?" asked Jack as he gave Lapis an apologetic look and grabbed a large rifle.

"It tends to stick near the rail yard," said Joe

"Does it only act up at night?" asked Jack as he grabbed five large bullets from the case and put them in his pocket.

"It does…" said Joe before his phone interrupted him.

"Yes? Wait, What? Are you sure? Okay then," said Joe while he was on his phone.

"The creature just appeared," said Joe.

"Okay we need to hurry. Joe can you get me and my partner to the rail yard?" asked Jack as pulled out a containment device form the metal case. Jack was ready to hunt.

"Yes, I can," said Joe as he left to get a transport vehicle.

"Okay Lapis here is the game plan. You fly up in the air and gather water from the steam, and come back down to use the water to pin the corrupted gem. I will shoot it with this gun," said Jack holding the fully assembled rifle.

"What will that gun do?" asked Lapis concerned.

"It is powerful enough to punch through a corrupted gem which causes them to dissipate leaving behind the gemstone," said Jack.

"What happens if you hit the gemstone?" asked Lapis.

"It would probably shatter it… yeah there is a reason why I was using my Power Jaxs. Using a gun runs the risk of shattering, but that is why I need you to pin the corrupted gem," said Jack looking at Lapis.

"Okay, but I will protect the corrupted gem if your aim is off… Do want me to fly up now?" asked Lapis. Jack saw Joe return with a vehicle. He need to make a choice.

"Yeah, fly up. I will cover you," said Jack. Lapis nodded as she revealed her water wings and flew into the air. Joe pulled up and stares as he sees Lapis fly.

"I will explain later just know that she is a friend. She is going to get water from the steam towers," said Jack.

"Hey, you are the expert when it comes to this shit," said Joe as Jack climbed aboard with his loaded gun. The drive only lasted for a few minutes, when they arrived to see the large blue cat creature clawing at a rail car. Joe stopped which let Jack hop off and lie prone to line up his shot. It wasn't long until the corrupted gem noticed Jack, and it turned to look at him. Jack say it's eyes were solid black pits, and he knew this was different form every other corrupted gem he fought.

"There is something wrong," thought Jack as a chill ran up his spine. The corrupted gem started rush Jack down, and it got too close to him.

"Shit!" said Jack right before the corrupted gem was surrounded by water, and flung further back.

"Good timing," said Jack to Lapis who landed next to him.

"I recognize that gem," said Lapis as she manipulated the water to distract and attack the corrupted gem.

"You do?" asked Jack confused as he regained composure to line up a shot.

"She is a Blue Topaz, and she was a part of the same court as me… She was against violence, but now…," said Lapis with a solemn tone.

"If it will make you feel any better, there is something wrong with her… I have never seen a corrupted gem with solid black eyes," said Jack as he got a shot lined up because Lapis was starting to pin the Topaz.

"Wait…" said Lapis as she got a glimpse of the eyes, and she froze which loosened the water. The Topaz broke free and charged up with electricity which caused it to pause, and Jack took his shot. He fired the gun, and the bullet flew towards its target. Jack then realized that the gem stone was right in the path. Lapis noticed this to, so she used her water to move the corrupted gem out of the way. The bullet hit the water losing force. The bullet broke up in the water, and the pieces flew out at a slower speed and fell to the ground. The corrupted gem unleashed her electricity which rushed up the water and hit Lapis. The shock caused the water and Lapis to fall to the ground and the corrupted gem was free to move. Jack decided the best think he can do is just give Lapis time to recover, so he got up from his prone position and ran towards the gem.

"Hey, you overgrown pussy cat, come get me!" yelled Jack. The corrupted gem growled at him and rushed towards him to attack. Jack ran a zig-zag pattern trying to do confuse the corrupted gem, but the corrupted gem figured out what Jack was trying to do. The Topaz charged up with electricity and fired quick short burst. Jack tried to dodge them, but one bolt hit his left leg.

"Fucking…" said Jack in pain as he grabbed his leg. He knew he could not move, and saw that the corrupted gem was closing the gap between them. The Topaz flipped Jack on his back, and put its face close to his baring teeth. Jack looked up at it with fear and regret in his eyes, and knew this was it. The Topaz did not attack though. One of the black eyes regained color, and the creature moved away from Jack. The Topaz was violently shaking its head as Jack felt his leg regain feeling. He got up and the Topaz heard him. She looked at him with normal eyes, and Jack noticed tears in them. Suddenly, a rail car was slammed on top of the Topaz causing her to pop and dissipate leaving behind her blue gem. Jack went over and picked her up. He walked back over to the transport vehicle and grabbed a containment device to put the Topaz in. Lapis let the water fall to the ground as she walked up next to Jack looking a bit worse for wear.

"You want her? She is your friend," said Jack looking at her with relief.

"No… I trust that you will keep her safe… I am just sorry I had to drop a rail car on her," said Lapis with a mix of sadness and humor.

"Did you use one of the already damaged cars?" asked Jack concerned.

"I did," said Lapis as she sat down in the transport vehicle.

"Good job you two, I was worried that I was going to need to call an ambulance," said Joe as he walked out from his cover.

"It was close, but we pulled it off… sorry for the train car," said Jack trying to put on a strong face, but he was still feeling the jolt in his leg.

"No problem, you used one of the damaged ones that we already reported. Now I am curious about you miss?" asked Joe.

"Lapis,"

"Like the gemstone?" asked Joe confused.

"What?" asked Lapis for she did not know there were none Gem gemstones on Earth.

"Well anyway, I need to thank you and Jack for your service. Without you two who knows what that creature could have done," said Joe.

"Glad to help, but now I need to get back on the road to get this gemstone to my home," said Jack trying to speed up the conversation.

"Right of course, Oglevania Power should pay you this afternoon," said Joe as they got on the transport vehicle. After several minutes of returning to Jack's truck and getting his gun and Blue Topaz packed, he and Lapis left Plant Gates and were driving back to his house.

"So did you enjoy that?" asked Jack genuinely curious.

"I did somewhat, but I am just upset to see my friend like that," said Lapis with a sad tone.

"So, I am curious. What was your life like before the war?" asked Jack.

"Do you really want to know?" asked Lapis.

"Yeah," said Jack.

"Well, I have the power to affect a planet drastically," said Lapis.

"Where you the one behind the ocean drying up rapidly?" asked Jack as he connects the dots in his head.

"… Yeah it was me," said Lapis as she hangs her head low.

"Okay putting a pin in that. You may continue," said Jack as he slightly shifted away from Lapis.

"Well, I would make planets more suitable for my race to colonize, but I was part of a court that focused more on diplomacy. My friend was a soldier specifically designed for the court, but she was more of an elite guard," said Lapis thinking back to her past.

"I am aware of what caused the war, but where you specifically during the war?" asked Jack. Lapis breathed in, and decided to tell him the truth.

"I came to Earth to reshape the land for the conquest, and it was around the time the Crystal gems really started to be a threat. I was ordered to make a place for more soldiers to be made, but the problem was there was a village of humans in the area," said Lapis as she clenched her fists and started to cry. Jack can tell what she is about to say, and he knows it is hurting her.

"You don't have to describe it if you don't want to," said Jack as he reached his hand over to one of hers. Lapis looked at his hand and felt the same caring energy that Steven always gave off. She knows however that Jack is older than Steven and has more experience when it comes to the world. Lapis remembers a word she heard only a few time, but it can best describe Jack, mature.

"No, I need too. I ordered the soldiers that where with me to move them out of the way, and they complied. The started shoving the humans out of their homes, but one of the humans fought back which lead to all of them fighting back. I was annoyed with this so I used my control of water to subdue them, and let the soldiers… kill them," said Lapis as she held on to Jack's hand.

"Lapis?" asked Jack in a solemn tone.

"The horrible thing is that I slightly enjoyed using my power over them… I saw them as obstacles, and I used my power to remove them with ease. I guess that maybe a personal reason why I never wanted to join the Crystal Gems… because if I did, I would have had to admit that I killed beings that were like us," said Lapis fully realizing her past.

"Lapis… I don't know what to say," said Jack honestly.

"You should say that you hate me," said Lapis.

"I should, but I can't. You are hurting to much already, and I just can't bring myself to hurt you more right now," said Jack as he keeps holding her hand and driving.

"Thank you…," said Lapis as she wiped tears from her eyes.

"Your welcome," said Jack.

"After that, I got caught in a battle where I got poofed, and I was taken back to Homeworld controlled territory," said Lapis now looking out the window.

"I am guessing that they miss identified you as a Crystal Gem," said Jack inquisitively.

"They did… how did you guess that?" asked Lapis impressed.

"I thought about how it would be near impossible to tell who was friend or foe simply by gemstone since the only identifying markers that appear on your kind would be on your bodies which disappear after taking too much damage," said Jack.

"Right… well that is what happened to me, and my gem was put onto a mirror which prevented me from forming my body. They interrogated me on where the Crystal Gem's base was, but I did not know," said Lapis.

"You don't have to answer this, but what was it like in the mirror?" asked Jack concerned.

"I had no sense of what was going on except from when I looked through the mirror to the outside. I had no means of communicating to the outside except in the form of images, but I was limited to what I could do…, and I was in that state for thousands of years," said Lapis. Jack clenched his fists to the steering wheel.

"What monster put you through that?" asked Jack with anger.

"… Blue Diamond, she ordered that I be put in the mirror, and the Crystal Gems kept me in there," said Lapis looking at Jack. Jack breaths in and loosens his grip.

"If I ever meet Blue Diamond, I am going to kick her ass, and I will have some choice words with the Crystal Gems," said Jack.

"That I would honestly love to see," said Lapis as chuckled at Jack's statement.

"So how did you get out?" asked Jack.

"A boy named Steven freed me from the mirror, but at that time my gemstone was cracked. I could not use my full power to return to Homeworld," said Lapis.

"And I am guessing that is why you were messing with the ocean?" asked Jack.

"It was," said Lapis confirming Jack's guess.

"How did your gemstone heal? From family history, I know that if a gem gets cracked it will eventually break," said Jack confused.

"Steven has an ability to heal gems and people with his spit," said Lapis.

"Damn, I need to visit him then," said Jack amazed.

"Why, your leg is fine now," said Lapis puzzled.

"Because I am still recovering from the impact of you landing in my life," said Jack sincerely.

"Wait, what?" asked Lapis really confused.

"God damn it; why did I think a pick up line would work? Great now I just look like a total weirdo," said Jack humiliated. Lapis remembered that she, Peridot, and Steven looked up lines similar to Jack, and it suddenly clicked. Lapis laughed for several minutes.

"Well that did not end well," said Jack slightly looking away from Lapis and as he let go from Lapis' hand.

"No… that was good Jack. I am sorry for laughing, and I will be honest I do feel a connection to you as well, but…," said Lapis as she held her head down.

"But?" asked Jack perking up.

"I don't want to hurt you like I did… Jasper," said Lapis.

"I assume Jasper is a gem," said Jack.

"Yes, she was a Homeworld soldier who kept me prisoner and forced me to show the location of the Crystal Gems. Long story short, the Gems managed to beat Jasper and crash the ship with me in it," said Lapis

"What? They left you in a crashing ship! Okay, I am also going to kick their asses," said Jack a little pissed.

"Yeah, Jasper survived the crash too. Now gems can do something call fusion where we can combine to make a new being that is greater than the gems that make it up," said Lapis hanging her head lower.

"Oh thank God, my family never fought two corrupted gems at the same time. Sorry, I need to mention that," said Jack.

"No problem so continuing, I fused with Jasper and we made a gem named Malachite. We were a toxic relationship where we both hurt each, but I took it too far," said Lapis with a tinge of guilt.

"I enjoyed hurting her, and I justified it by saying that she forced me into this. She works for the Diamonds that put me in the mirror. She has trapped me on Earth! I used all of those excuses to justify the pain I caused her… I am a terrible gem," said Lapis as she started to cry.

"Lapis… I can somewhat understand what you went through…," said Jack with a comforting tone.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Lapis as she looked up at him.

"Whenever I hunt corrupted gems, I do it for many reasons: money, safety for others, research, but I fear that my biggest reason for hunting corrupted gems is the rush of power I get when I beat a creature that terrifies normal people. I enjoy it when I capture creatures that have powers that no one can explain, and yet it was beaten by a common human. I have always questioned my motives for doing this, but when I met you and you told me that corrupted gems were once sentient, that made me realize that I was forcing my will on beings that are already being punished for crimes long forgotten and during a war outside the understanding of humanity. I have literally been hunting veteran's, and I enjoyed it," said Jack in a solemn and guilty tone. Lapis looks at him and sees a bit of herself in him… She feels a connection to him…

"So this is what Rose Quartz felt…," said Lapis quietly as she smiled.

"Yes, Lapis?" asked Jack for he did not catch what she said.

"Nothing… Jack you are by far the most interesting and confident human I ever met… and I like that. You keep living despite the doubts about yourself, and you have the courage to fight. I wish I could do that," said Lapis honestly. Jack blushes at the compliment.

"Thanks Lapis," said Jack. They stopped so that Jack could eat and relive himself. When they got back on the road Jack decided to have lighter conversation with Lapis.

"So would you like listen to some music Lapis?" asked Jack.

"I can give it a shot," said Lapis.

"Okay then," said Jack as he turned on the radio. He and Lapis flipped through the stations until they found a classic rock station. After a few songs, Lapis started to love the style of classic rock, so Jack adjusted the radio to keep it on classic rock stations when they would lose the signal of other stations. They drove about eight hours when Jack decided to stop at a hotel for the night. Jack pulled up in a Hotel 9, and he parked the truck. Jack left the truck, and he entered the hotel to pay for a room. After a few minutes, he returned with the key card. He gathered his stuff, and he and Lapis go to their room. It was around supper time, so Jack decide to order a pizza through an online app. Lapis turned on the television and channel surfed until she stopped at a channel that was about to show a scary movie. Jack finished up his order and kick off his shoes. He sat down on his bed, and Lapis moved from her bed to his.

"Oh… um," said Jack is surprise.

"Do you want to watch the movie that is about to come up?" asked Lapis as she snuggled up with Jack. He decided to just roll with it.

"Sure," said Jack. They started to watch the movie which turned out to be a bad horror movie that was hilarious too both of them. The pizza came during a commercial break, and Jack got it quickly so that he did not miss the rest of the movie. Jack ate the pizza during the movie which both he Lapis were focused on seeing how badly it would fail to scare. When the movie ended, they had each other in their arms. Jack had to ruin the moment by passing gas, which caused Lapis to laugh more.

"God damn it, I am going to clean myself up," said Jack as he got up to do his nightly routine.

"Hey, I have not laughed like this in a long time, so be proud of that," said Lapis still giggling. Jack rolled his eyes as he entered the bathroom, and washed up. Several minutes passed and he was finishing up his routine when Lapis jumped out of bed with her wings spread.

"Jack, there was something looking in from the window," said Lapis with a stern tone.

"Something? What did it look like?" asked Jack as he got next to her.

"It looked like a deer that was twisted to stand like a human," said Lapis. Jack gave her a puzzled look as he looked outside the window. As he looked, A figure with a deer skull, glowing eyes, rotting flesh, and a twisted animal man look appeared in front of him. Jack jumped really far back and almost lost balance, but Lapis caught him.

"Fuck off before I call the cops!" yelled Jack at the twisted creature. The deer man just stood there ignoring him until Jack took a picture of it with his phone. The creature bolted when he did this.

"Run all you like asshole, but you are going to be my next target," said Jack looking at the photo of the twisted deer man. Jack started to get a chill up his spine, and he turned toward Lapis who was now lying on the floor seemingly knocked out.

"Shit, Lapis wake up!" said Jack as he shakes her. She did not respond, so Jack decided to splash some water on her. He filled up a cup threw it on Lapis which got her awake.

"You okay?" asked Jack concerned.

"I think so…," said Lapis placing her hand to her head as if she has a headache.

"What happened?" asked Jack trying to figure out what happened.

"I made eye contact with that thing, and it felt like I lost control of my form. I was sent to a black void, and I could not sense anything," said Lapis as she collected herself.

"Okay that is concerning… Lapis I might need to keep an eye on you until this deer person is captured or dealt with," said Jack.

"I understand why you would say that, but…," said Lapis before Jack finished.

"You need to leave… right?" asked Jack a bit disappointed. Lapis just could not answer him… For so long she wanted to run, but now she realizes she had reasons not to run, and Jack was one of them. Lapis in silence controlled the spilled water into the sink, and Jack turned off the lights.

"Night Lapis," said Jack with a disappointed tone. Lapis got into her bed as she thought about how Jack has connected with her, and how she is throwing it back in his face. Lapis now realizes how Peridot could be feeling right now… if she has not already forgotten about her. Peridot had gone from her worst enemy to closest friend, yet Lapis never appreciated that fact until she was no longer there. The night passes, and Jack wakes up to see Lapis in bed not sleeping just looking up.

"Jack," said Lapis trying to get his attention.

"Yes?" asked Jack curious but still disappointed.

"I have been thinking about why I have been wanting to run, and I haven't been valuing those who have been helping me. I need to change that," said Lapis. Jack gives her a smile as he gets out of bed to get ready to leave. After minutes of Jack getting dressed and straightening up the room, Jack and Lapis packed the truck, and they hit the road again. Jack and Lapis just listened to classic rock. Jack stopped to get brunch since he forgot to eat at the hotel. After several hours they finally reached Jacks home. Jack pulls up in the drive way, and Lapis sees that her barn is trashed. Lapis rushes out of the truck to survey the damage, and she just stops.

"Lapis, what… oh," said Jack as he sees the inside of her barn was destroyed.

"All the memorps Peridot and I made… they are destroyed, and … It is just a disaster," said Lapis as she fell to her knees.

"Lapis… I think I know what did this," said Jack as he looked to the right seeing a picture that looked like the deer man from last night. It was drawn with a black substance that reeked of death.

"Why do they hate me? I never did anything to any deer people," said Lapis as she started to cry due to the stress of the situation.

"I don't know, but I will help you figure it out. They came onto my property and messed with my guest. That is a serious offense that can't go unpunished," said Jack as he cracked his knuckles.

"Thank you," said Lapis as she calmed down a bit.

"Now in the meantime let's get your friend secured," said Jack as he walked towards the truck to get the Topaz that is contained in a safe on the truck. He opened the safe to find it gone.

"Shit! Lapis someone stole your friend," yelled Jack.

"What?! How?!" she yelled back.

"I don't know, but I have a feeling it is our 'friend's' work," said Jack pissed.

"We need to get her back," said Lapis as she walked up to Jack.

"I agree, but we don't know where they are. I say we let them come to us," said Jack with a devilish grin across his face. Jack and Lapis spent the rest of the day straightening the barn, and setting up for their trap. It simply involved Lapis staying in the barn, but Jack would keep an eye on the barn while he aimed his AT rifle. Night came and they laid their plan out, so now came to just wait. It took hours, but eventually Jack, who was on the verge of sleep, saw a figure… no two… wait.

"Shit, there is a group of those freaks," said Jack under his breath as ten gather around the barn. Jack got a good look at the figures and realized that they were wearing corrupted gems of various colors and style's like pelts. Jack noticed one of them where the pelt of Blue Topaz. He saw their skin move, and he saw gems embedded in a few of them.

"Fuck, I might shatter those gems, but I can't just sit here doing nothing," said Jack desperate to act. He then saw Lapis bust open the door with water ready, but their old deer friend appeared behind her and grabbed her at the neck. It pinned her to the ground and stopped the water. Jack in this moment just acted. He abandoned his gun, and grabbed a hatchet. He had no idea why he was acting so irrationally, but he could not sit there and watch Lapis be hurt like that. Jack with hatchet in hand rushed out of the house yelling

"Hey ugly assholes leave her alone," The group stopped and stared at him for a moment. Two of the corrupted gem wearing creatures launched themselves at Jack. One was wearing Blue Topaz, and the other was wearing a yellowish green bird. Jack could not see the gemstones as the creatures approached. He tried to defend himself, but the creatures dodged his attacks and pinned him like Lapis.

"So… you were defending this vile monster?" asked a raspy, dry voice. Jack looked up to see the deer man standing above him.

"You can talk… Good so you can explain what the hell is going on," said Jack aggressively.

"We are victims of this monster you call Lapis… We are the Wendigo tribe," said the deer man.

"No… your…," said Jack realizing who he and the creatures are, but he could not believe it.

"Vengeance is a wonderful thing… it can give you power and immortality," said the creature with a wide twisted grin.

"What do you plan on doing with her?!" asked Jack with anger and struggle.

"I will use her as a vessel, and that will let me use her power to cleans the world of those like her," said the creature as it looked at a passed out Lapis.

"So you are going to kill the gems like they killed you. Isn't that hypocritical?" asked Jack.

"Do you know what it is like to be killed and forgotten?" asked the deer man with anger.

"No, because my ancestors are actually good in a fight," said Jack viciously at the creature.

"You don't matter. All that matters is that my vengeance is satisfied, and I will stop at nothing to accomplish that goal even if it means killing you. I will get immense pleasure from erasing you from history," said the creature as it turned away from Jack. Jack should have been scared at this moment, but he could only feel one emotion, and it was rage. A rage so deep, and so intense that he could only focus on one thing. Kill this monster. The area around him started to freeze over like it was winter.

"Why is it getting cold all of the sudden?" asked the creature, but the only answer was Jack let out the loudest scream in human history. The temperature plummeted to far below freezing as Jack screamed and started to push back against the two creatures holding him down. He started lifting himself up, and the creatures tried desperately to keep him pinned. They noticed however that ice was forming on their limbs that was touching Jack, and the pain form their limbs freezing caused them to release their grip. Jack launched himself back to his feet and exploded on the two creatures. He grabbed the frozen arm of the yellow-green creature and snapped it like a twig. The yellow green creature screamed in pain as Jack beat it savagely with its own arm. The Blue Topaz creature tried to jump Jack, but he sensed it coming so he swung the frozen arm in a wide arc which connected with the creature's skull causing it to cave in and freeze over.

"Don't just stand there stop him!" yelled the deer man leader, but his followers could not move due to the ice on their feet and fear. The Blue Topaz creature froze over, and Jack shattered it leaving behind the gemstone. Jack picked it up, and incased it in ice.

"This should keep you from being abused by these fucks," said Jack as he turned his attention the creature on the ground as it tried to crawl away, but he just grinned as he jumped in the air and curb stomped the creatures head shattering it. The body froze over, and Jack shattered it as well freeing the gem for him to freeze it over.

"So… you were saying about erasing me?" asked Jack sarcastically as he looked at the deer man with a murderous smile. All of the creatures' feet were freed from the ice, and they all, except for deer man, decided to rush Jack at once. Jack, now fueled by a powerful rage, was able to dodge their attacks now. He saw his hatchet during the combat so he grabbed it, and ice formed across the weapon. Jack relaunched himself in to a full assault on the creatures as he slashed into them. Where he would cut, ice formed and spread across the creatures' body, and when they would try to use the corrupted gems power, Jack would scream shutting off the power leaving them open to his attacks. Jack sliced and froze the creatures until they were motionless like statues. Jack let out another scream which caused their frozen bodies to crack and break leaving behind unharmed gems which Jack froze to keep them from being manipulated.

"Now it is your turn!" said Jack as he rushed forward to cut this freak into ribbons.

"I still have one more fighter to defend me," said the creature as it raised lapis to a standing position. Her eyes opened revealing dark pits, and she started to command ice to rise around her.

"So you were the one controlling Topaz… well then I don't need to fuck around," said Jack right be for he screamed. This shut off Lapis' power, but it also caused her to wake up from her trance. She sees Jack standing before her, but he now has snow white hair and shining blue eyes.

"Jack?" asked Lapis in shock.

"Yep, it's me, so you were saying?" asked Jack to the deer man.

"This is not over!" yelled the creature as it launched its self at Jack, but Lapis launched sharp pieces of ice into the creature pinning it to a tree. Jack walked up to it and grabbed its throat.

"I told you I would hunt you down," said Jack as he froze the creature solid. He stepped out of the way as Lapis sent an ice fist flying into the frozen creature shattering both the frozen creature and the ice fist.

"I figured you wanted to deliver the final blow," said Jack looking at Lapis.

"I did, but what happened to you?" asked Lapis looking at Jack's changes.

"I guess I inherited some Northern Beast traits after all," said Jack jokingly. The temperature started to return too normal, and Jack passed out due to exhaustion.

Jack work up the next morning sore as hell, and he figured last night was a dream until he saw his reflection in the mirror in his room that proved that he went through changes. He went outside to realize that it was early evening and Lapis was sitting outside. She turned to look at him.

"I was afraid that you would sleep all day," said Lapis with a grin.

"Hey I am sore, and I literally fought in frigid temperature," said Jack justifying his sleep.

"Shut up and get over here," said Lapis. Jack walked over to her slowly, but once he got to her she started talking.

"Thank you for everything. This has been the best time of my existence despite how short it actually is compared to my life," said Lapis.

"Your welcome, but why do you consider it your best time?" asked Jack confused.

"It made me reflect on myself and made me understand what is at stake if the Diamond's destroy this planet," said Lapis as she got up.

"So…" said Jack with a smile realizing what she means.

"I am going to fight them," said Lapis with determination.

"That is good to hear, but out of curiosity what did you do with the corrupted gems?" asked Jack.

"I bubbled them, and put them in your house… along with the corrupted gem you were hunting on the first day we met," said Lapis looking at Jack.

"Thanks, I appreciate that," said Jack as he looks up to see a yellow and a blue shooting star go across the sky at a relatively slow pace for a shooting star.

"Hey Lapis look at those shooting stars," said Jack as he pointed them out. Lapis saw them and glared.

"It's the Diamonds," said Lapis as she commands water to lift the barn up.

"So this is good bye?" asked Jack with a mix of excitement and sadness.

"Jack… if… no once I am done beating the Diamonds I will come see you, but until then have this," said Lapis right before she planted a kiss right on Jack's lips. Jack let it happen as he got into the kiss as well. Lapis finish and flew up into the air. She then sped herself and the barn out of Jack's area.

"Beat them for both of us," said Jack as he slowly walked back into his house.


End file.
